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SINN FÉIN LEADER Mary Lou McDonald has said that the best outcome of the next general election would be a government “without either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael”.
The party is meeting in Dublin today ahead of the new Dáil term to strategise as local and European elections loom, with the prospect of the next general election also coming closer.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tánaiste Micheál Martin, meanwhile, have convened their parties’ ‘think-ins’ in Limerick and Tipperary this week to forge their path forward.
Political speculation and polling analysis since the 2020 election, in which Sinn Féin pulled off its best ever performance, has often suggested the possibility of a Sinn Féin-Fianna Fáil coalition.
However, McDonald has insisted this morning that the “very best outcome in our view of the next election would be the opportunity of a government for change without either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael”.
Members of Sinn Féin’s parliamentary party are set to discuss issues today including the housing crisis, cost of living, and Irish unity, as well as preparing for upcoming elections in local councils and the EU and longer-term ambitions for the next general election.
Speaking to reporters at the start of the think-in, McDonald said: “We’re on an election footing, so we will be talking about preparation in that regard. Our ambition is to provide a government of change.”
“We take nothing for granted. There are no slam dunks. There is nothing inevitable about Sinn Féin being in government,” she said.
“However, we do believe that the appetite for political change is alive and well. It has not diminished since the last general election – in fact, if anything, it’s grown, and we think that’s a really positive thing for the country.”
Mary Lou McDonald at the Sinn Féin think-in this morning ahead of the new Dáil term
— Lauren Boland (@laurenanna_1) September 15, 2023
"The sooner, the better," she says on the prospect of a general election, adding that the "very best outcome" would be a government with neither Fianna Fáil nor Fine Gael@thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/ovk1pHaz7t
A recent review of Ireland’s constituencies by the Electoral Commission means that the next election will likely come with an additional 14 Dáil seats up for grabs, bringing the total number from 160 to 174.
“Obviously, our objective is to win as many votes as we can and to win as many seats as we can. I’m sure no different to any of the other political parties, we’re now analysing exactly what the new constituency configurations will mean,” McDonald told reporters this morning.
“After the last general election, I literally could not walk the length of myself without people telling me that we hadn’t run enough candidates. This time, we will not make that mistake.
We will be prepared, we will be match fit, and we will go to the people in all humility, but well prepared, looking for as big a mandate as we can have.
“The people are going to decide this – they will decide the balance of forces of who is elected and in what numbers, and I do think the largest party emerging ought to, by logic, be given the opportunity to form a government.”
Addressing members in her opening speech, the party leader alluded more towards the likelihood that Sinn Féin would need to form a coalition with another party in order to create a government.
“When the people do make that democratic decision, we will talk to everyone and we will put Sinn Féin’s policies for a better future firmly on the table,” she said, reiterating that “the very best outcome of that election is a new government without Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael for the first time in 100 years”.
The longer Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are in government, the worst things will get. They are out touch, out of ideas, and increasingly out of time.
McDonald was critical of the current Fine Gael-Fianna Fail-Green Party government as it approaches its next Budget.
“Despite commitments that they would deal with housing, that housing would take priority, we still see a housing crisis looming large, touching every facet of Irish life all across society and every generation at this stage,” she said, pledging that a Sinn Féin government would “make housing the number one priority”.
She discussed the party’s wish to hold a Citizens’ Assembly on Irish Unity and said: “I believe this is the generation that will end partition… and finish the journey to full nationhood.
Looking to Northern Ireland, where the DUP has prevented the formation of an Executive since last year, McDonald said that “the game changing must stop and common sense needs to prevail”.
She referenced the climate crisis in brief, mentioning a need for “implementing an effective strategy in response to the climate emergency”.
The Sinn Féin leader has returned to work after taking some time away this summer to recover from surgery.
She said that both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste sent her well wishes and that “for the very most part across politics, people are decent and people are kind when it comes to people’s personal health” – adding with a laugh that she is “sure the lads will be thrilled out of their minds to have me back”.
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Maybe stop setting targets to miss at this point.
@Laura Halfitz: at this stage it’s like the auld television show, Bullseye. Here’s what you could have won…
@Laura Halfitz: stop setting targets and they will accuse you of not having a plan. No winning with the outraged lefties I’m afraid.
@kieran: didn’t know the left or right cared more, id assume both sides would want out of this mess
@Laura Halfitz: they set targets based on the information of stock availability, with all the issues around AZ vaccine at the moment that can change, also with countries who are producing products hoarding for themselves it makes stock access harder, Targets are nothing but a guide as to where you want to be and in any business or personal life they can change because of outside variables. It’s no different here, we can blame the government on many things but the targets will change many times
@Brian Stafford:
I like that!
@Garreth mc mahon: I know. Just don’t see a point in setting a target that will be missed. Just get on with it and get vaccines in arms.
@Brian Stafford: and its exactly the prizes, dreadful. Tom is 36 and lives on the 5th floor in a flat. We’ll done tom you won a speed boat
@Tarraing Mo Liathróidí: Its a pandemic and plans have to change all the time. We are not the only country having to do so. the vaccine issue has thrown the plans into a mess. So they move to another plan. Thats pandemic management, constantly changing and we have no control of it. Too many variables outside our control
203 people hospitalised with covid. 203! Out of a population of 5 odd million. Open the country before there is nothing left to open.
@Darren Lambe: Yeah lets do the EXACT same thing as December and see what happens.
How’s the water in your goldfish bowl?
@Mr_Bumkee: December is an exception. tonnes and tonnes coming into the country and mingling and partying for a week solid at xmas. its a special time of the year. the country has to open up substantially more in the near future.
@Mr_Bumkee: I have only one thing to say to you. so you want to work off the what if scenario and stay in as heavy a lockdown as possible until when? if you’re calling to stay in a heavy lockdown that were in since December, could say October then I seriously question your life. basing a reopening on vaccines and has gone pear shapped and has run its course. if your basing on vaccines it could be near Xmas as I don’t think the government have any intention of opening even once the vulnerable are vaccinated. you’re on about added strains. let’s not forget how they came into the country and its not the general public doing all of what was asked of them the last 13 months
@Darren Lambe: or we could maybe be allowed to leave the place.
I’d happily leave for a while and return when things calm down but they leave the gards sitting in the airport
@Colm Byrne: I know a husband and wife who said if they could get vaccinated they’d be gone overseas for a month
@Macca1986: he never said that he wanted to stay in a “heavy lockdown” nor did he say that he wanted to stay in one. You “open the country” merchants really do love a strawman don’t you. As soon as anyone says we need to be careful about reopening they’re accused of wanting to hide under their beds or being lockdown lovers. Let’s have some common sense here. Most of Europe are seeing cases surge and are in a new wave of the virus. As are many countries around the world. Ireland, because we learned a harsh lesson in January, has one of the lowest rates of infection in Europe. We are not in lockdown either, we’re in restrictions. As the people of Spain Italy or China and they’ll tell you what a lockdown is. Not being able to leave your house without documentation under police/military guard
@Mr_Bumkee: why are u calling the uk strain new? Isnt it here since last November.. Have a look at uk figures with uk strain in a few weeks time and let us know how it ripped.
@Macca1986: I’ve planned to leave for 2 months late in June to get away from this depressing kip but a 2k fine on the way out the door is pricy
@Ger: we’ll open slowly and hopefully safely as more people are vaccinated. Let’s get this one right so that we don’t have to close again. Remember the reopening plan last summer? We set dates then ignored those dates and reopened most things early and along came wave 2.
@Ger: don’t talk utter sh..e. there is people out of work with months and months. have bills to pay and mortgages andafamily to feed off a meesly covid payment. my point is u can’t stay living the way you’re living and just depend on an incompetent governent vaccine rollout.
@Colm Byrne: exactly. I wouldn’t blame anyone wanting to get away for a while.
@Mr_Bumkee: Sure let’s wait til there is 0 covid patients in hospital? It’s ludicrous at this stage. All because the health care system has been run into the ground for the last 30 odd years
@Macca1986: yes there are people who need to pay bills, you think that I don’t? So what is your suggestion? Just ignore the virus because it’s inconvenient to you and let people die? You’re the one talking shi.. So which one of your family members are you willing to sacrifice so you can go back to normal? And of course vaccines are the way out of this. So point out one thing that I said that was inaccurate and then tell me what you’d do to get the country open with out the approx 90 to a 100 days a day that we saw in January. Let’s hear it.
@Mr_Bumkee: Still going on about that? Yawn.
@Macca1986: 164,000 to be exact !
@Macca1986: 164,000 to be exact
@Macca1986: The people coming into the country did not cause it. Look at the secondary spread. The virus is here and people mixing is what causes it.
@Macca1986: |The vaccine roll out is one of the best in Europe strangely enough for a HSE project.
@Ger: Where has it ever been said that they were waiting until there was no people in hospital. NOWHERE.
We are getting to the Covid-19 management stage but we are not there yet.
That depends on getting a large part of the population vaccinated.
Thats what they are doing.
Chile opened up to much and too soon and had to go into a severe lockdown.
@Gary Kearney: I think you replied to the wrong person there Gary
Oh they have really stirred the hornets nest now…..anyone who still supports these lot are now a bigger threat to this country than any pandemic could ever be.
@Tarraing Mo Liathróidí: Please explain.
@Gary Kearney: Why should he when you’re never bothered yourself? Jog on.
Don’t underestimate the grey vote
Do they really think over 60s are going to accept this experiment
@Marie Lynch: It’s not an experiment. . . it’s a risk assessment.
The risk from covid massively outweighs the risk from the virus in older groups.
It’s not hard to understand like. At least try to inform yourself.
@Marie Lynch: I’m over 60 and will happily accept this experiment. As will many people I know. At this end of life every active year is precious and I don’t want to waste another one with my choices and plans destroyed by the combination of Covid and beaurocratic fear driven incompetence.
No a hope will it be met. Why are they even pretending?
And for my next trick I will pull a rabbit out of this here hat.
All I can say is the roll out is working, of course I wish we had loads of vaccines and we were vaccinating the be-jesus out of everyone. But I see the vaccine roll out with my own eyes, I am seeing neighbours getting it, my only family, mam and dad got theirs, it is nice to see, it gives me genuine hope.
Will June’s targets be met, probably not, but I don’t blame the government for it.
Just as small side note related to lockdown, its been really really lovely seeing all the kids excited to be back at school, the laughter of kids playing, its lovely. Sorry something I noticed in the past couple days.
@Ally Mc Culladgh: you don’t blame the government????….remind me again who decided to base the whole reopening schedule around vaccines, ah yes that would be the government, who have basically handed the control of the country over to NPHET cos they tried appeasing Dr Tony and NPHET last October by jumping to level 5 when we were fine at leve 3, then opened up for a 3 week free for all after telling people we would be locked down for a few months after Christmas???. The fact is they have played a game of run with the hare’s and hunt with the hounds when its come to trying to play both the public and NPHET and now we have all lost. Heads should roll but they won’t, cos FF and FG will try save face and hse management will go hiding like they always do
@Ally Mc Culladgh: lah lah lah lah lah, everything is magical, the government is wonderful, no blame apportioned to them whatsoever, the magical kids are back at school where they should always have been, less noise around the place :) and u forgot the smell of fresh cut grass is in the air, Hollywood, fairytale Ireland, lol.
@Hugo Bugo: Hugo, life isn’t all grim and depressing, you won’t drag me down to your level. Kids haven’t always been back at school? Magical kids Hugo? Oh yeah you mean the ones that go to Hogwarts? Ah Hugo, don’t let the muggles get you down.
Ps, I do love a good oul grass cutting, but I would recommend leave a small patch for dandelions to grow, to help the bees :)
@Tarraing Mo Liathróidí: I dont blame the government for the vaccine roll out. Thats my opinion, I believe in NPHET, government went against them, Leo threw them under the bus and we had to lockdown. All I said was it was nice to see the kids back at school…..
@Ally Mc Culladgh: I agree great kids back to school but for how long now, these power nuts in NPHET are already crying wolf about a 4th wave and now with vaccines slowing up, all it will take is even a small rise and Glynn and Co will be banging the drum for schools to shut before we even get to the summer break. Wrecking the economy is one thing, but we definitely can’t let these people wreck the education of kids who will be expected to pay for this pandemic circus for a few generations
@Tarraing Mo Liathróidí: They have been steadfast in their stance on keeping the schools closed. NPHET aren’t power nuts in my opinion. Ireland is doing well in comparison to lots of countries, brazil for example is in such a bad way, it’s heartbreaking and they are now only entering winter months.
I know you don’t like my positivity but I look outside today and I can take in the fresh air, go for a walk, feel the sunshine on my face and be content in the moment. Things could be so so much worse, I think about whats happening around the world and it gives me perspective.
As for the economy, as soon as restaurants and pubs open it will be like a festival atmosphere, I have hopes.
@Ally Mc Culladgh: keeping schools opened, sorry.
@Tarraing Mo Liathróidí:Lockdowns had largest impact in destroying economic activity. With all respiratory diseases, the only thing that stops the disease is herd immunity. About 80% of the people need to have had contact with the virus, and the majority of them won’t even have recognized that they were infected, or they had very, very mild symptoms, especially if they are childrenIf 80% of people have had contact with the virus and are therefore immune, and that, typically, that contact is just a form of immunization. So, there is no disease, there’s nothing happening, and still there is immunity. If 80% of people are immune and somebody has a virus and is infectious, it will be very difficult for that infectious person to find somebody who is still susceptible, not immune. And therefore, this person will not infect anybody else and therefore we won’t have the disease spreading. That is herd immunity. There is a lot information about it. https://covidcalltohumanity.org/2021/04/06/dr-knut-wittkowski-lockdowns-are-creating-a-new-epidemic/
@artur fil: Britain tried that at the start and it was a failure.
Brazil tried that and it was a failure
Trump tried it and it was a failure
Herd immunity without vaccines don’t work. We don’t have enough people vaccinated.
@Ally Mc Culladgh: You were convinced those right wing protesters and Brazilian people enjoying time off on the beach are virus spreaders. There are plenty articles saying is extremely difficult or almost impossible to get virus outside. I meant to send you link to your yesterday’s comments but I was enjoying my 20k freedom.
@artur fil: I said those on the beaches doesn’t take away from the dire situation from what is occuring. Brazil is in a very bad place. You can ignore it, your choice. But its happening. Easy to ignore when you’re enjoying your freedom in Ireland. Glad you are, take in the beautiful weather we are having
@Ally Mc Culladgh: enjoying our freedom in Ireland compared to Brazil,we have been in le el 5 lockdown for 4 months now and most of last year , are u actually celebrating the 5km restrictions being lifted I’m beginning to think u are that fran poins fella with a 2nd account, your trolling right?, have u been to Brazil, yea?, do u know 1st hand what is going on there. Beautiful weather compared to what country, we have one of the worst climates in the world the sun is out for 1 day with 10 degrees temperatures and u are giving Ireland Disneyland status again, there’s glass half full and then there’s delusional, OMG.
@Ally Mc Culladgh: for someone who is glorifying the Irish sunshine, taking in fresh air, going for walks, feeling the sunshine on their face, u have spent the last 4 hours making comments on every article on the journal, very strange, your smartphone must have a great brightness setting that u can type with the scorching sunshine obscuring your screen, Your 2nd point about pubs and restaurants and the festival atmosphere when they reopen, more cuckoo land talk, have u talked to pub owners latety, as I have, there is loads of pubs that will never reopen, there is 5 in my town that have permanently shut their doors as they are flat broke and even when they are allowed to open it will be numbers limits and social distancing again so limited income but full staff wages, rents and bills again
@Hugo Bugo: Does that mean you are on every article aswell then Hugo. I do know what’s happening in Brazil, as I am sure you know there is a large Brazilian community here in Ireland who have family back home. I have been to Brazil, not during covid of course. I would recommend travel as a way to broaden your horizona, if you can afford it and save up, some say it’s a life changing experience.
@Ally Mc Culladgh: ally u are badly losing this argument so u have to resort to insults, I thought u weren’t going to come “down to my level”, I love outing fake people, and FYI I too have been to Brazil, Mexico, USA and about 20 other countries so your recommendation is not needed and trying to insinuate I am broke and have no savings, again ally, not sure what level that makes u sink to, I would recommend u stop filling and trolling the people on here and go out for that walk in the fresh, sunny beautiful Irish day u were talking about a few hours ago, u haven’t left the journal comments section now since 8am, nothing worse in life than fake people
@Hugo Bugo: some people do like Irish weather, you know.
The incompetent roadshow rolls on
I could tell you this minute Leo if the target will be met. No it won’t.
At this point, we should be straight up refusing AstraZeneca vaccines. They have been nothing but trouble since day 1. We should be looking at other manufacturers who have a track record of producing a reliable vaccine, with a reliable supply. At the rate things are going, it will be coming up to the winter months before we see any reasonable restrictions been lifted.
@neuromancer: Thanks christ you’re not in charge of public health, We’d have to be picking your toys up off the floor constantly.
You couldn’t sound more uninformed.
You know what; let’s just get rid of all vaccines! Let’s just throw out all things with inherent uncertainty. Whilst your at it; go through your medicine cupboard and throw out pretty much all your tablets if you’re so intolerant of risk. And by GOD make sure you don’t go driving again. You won’t like the odds!
@neuromancer:
Pfizer price rise…..
It won’t be
its like faulty towers.
Was due to have my AZ jab on Friday. I’m a chronic Asthmatic. I want to get back to work as I’m self employed. Being at home and not taking part in everyday life is having a serious impact on my mental health. We all need social interaction. I’ve toed the line for over a year and my business is decimated I’ve had to beg for help even though my position is being determined by the Government.
I’m 48 years old and being told I need to retrain. I have spent 25 years honing my skills to a level I can make a good income when I work. The implications of what is happening will not be felt for another 6 months. In September when all pandemic subsidises are stopped all hell will break loose. Mental health is not being given the attention it deserves. And we have a recession on the way as well.
Ahhhhhhhh that would be A NO so.
Just tell us NO now before you start feeding us any more bull
The damage done by all the faffing about with AstraZeneca- only young people can have it.. it’s a good vaccine but a few people might die but it’s grand but you can’t have it unless you are over 60 and if you’ve already had a dose you have to wait an extra month to make you more confident it’s alright but it is alright but…..
The anti vaxxers will feed on this which will be far more damaging than the vaccine itself
Understandable. 60yrs+ are 85 times more likely to die from Covid than a blood clot on a scale sliding down to 18-34 are twice as likely to die from a blood clot than Covid. 1-4 per million shots likely to get a clot with one of those dying.
@Paul Clancy: The fact that this doesn’t have much upvotes tells you enough about the reasons people are in the comments section.
It’s to come here and shout their utterly uninformed grievances about vaccine supply, risks, and uncertainty. God we’re so screwed. People demanding to open up when pretty much nothing has changed since december.
So if you’re in your 20s and want your green pass for summer travel…….catching COVID is your best option……
@Sarah Ni Fhaoilean: no because you can also get the cert if you have a negative test
Of course targets will not be met. The NHPET advice on AstraZenica is a shambles – either approve it for wider use or discontinue its use. They have handed the Anti Vax brigade a prize and damaged the vaccination program. How many will die because of delay in vaccination.
@Dermot OBrien: it’s the EMA’s advice on AZ that is a shambles. NPHET are taking a steer from the EMA and they have been fumbling with the ball for 4 weeks now.
That can surely must be totally flattened now, at this stage, its been kicked down the road so many times by so many Govt ministers
Cancer services are running well below capacity and waiting lists are growing. Lets not be under any illusions more people will die from delayed cancer screenings, diagnosis and treatment. This is a fact and people still have it, its just they don’t know they have it. More people will die for cancer than we would of ever lost from Covid but the govt and NEPHET don’t seem to care. So is the strategy really about saving lives? Just read below.
“New data reveals a 15% drop in cancer patients in public hospitals, with breast cancer surgeries down 38%.
The National Healthcare Outcomes Conference will today hear of a 26% decrease in patients having colorectal cancer surgery and a drop of 18% in patients travelling through hospitals across all specialities.
Waiting lists for day care and in-patient care have increased by 31.7% at the same time.”
@Diarmuid O’Braonáin: same in every country, including the UK and US. The fact is that we don’t know how many people would have died had we not locked down. It may be reasonable to assume that two to three times the current number may have, seems comparable with other countries that have struggled.So perhaps we could have kept open to a large degree, had 10-12K deaths, overwhelmed the health services, exposed cancer patients to a much higher risk of catching Covid and dying. I’m not sure how these conditions would have greatly benefited people who may or may not have cancer. I think, like other countries, the safest thing to do was to curtail the services and reopen fully, when safe to do so, and strike a deal with the private hospitals to use their facilities to clear the backlog ASAP
@GrumpyAulFella: I don’t think you understand what I was saying. We’ve been using a sledge hammer to drive home a pin. More people are going to die long term than will of died from Covid. For example we may have saved 10 people(age 80+) from dying from Covid but inadvertently have killed 50 people who would never have died.
You 12k figure is an assumption. Assumptions are not factual or have any evidence. Sam McKonkey said between 80 and 120k Irish people were going to die. Not only was he wrong but no country in the world have deaths of over 1% of the population and have no restrictions.
Not only that hidden in the number of deaths is died with Covid. The actual number of people who died from Covid is very small most have an underlying or other condition. Some people in the number have died and were tested after the fact and it came back positive but was no way connected to the persons death. The died from and with covid is an important distinction.
Basically their using the different age groups as Guinea pigs over the next few months to see what the real effect the AstraZeneca has on people It’s a complete shambles at this stage
I’ll tell you now. No.
AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson can cause blood clots and possibly kill us so stop buy Pfizer biontech or moderna so we can live again
@James Delaney:
US investigate blood clots after Pfizer and Moderna
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajh.26132
@Pat: thanks pat didn’t know that ,I’m getting back in me box !
@James Delaney: Great idea except there is none available.
End of June? Sure. 2022.
In New Zealand everybody was given the Pfizer vaccine. The prime minister stated that this would insure that all were treated equally and that confusion would be kept to a minimum. Imagine…
Lol not a hope, now there is concerns with the Johnson vaccine. Just bring back the Pfizer vaccine asap.
I think most Irish people already know the answer.
can those under 60 with serious health conditions get the AZ?
@Macca1986: Yes very much so and it is far more deadly to a person without underlying conditions. The disabled community across the world has seen a massive death rate.
Of course they will miss it. Why change now?
Two chances …none and …none.
…
Wjhat can you not understand in the simple sentence.
Our decisions are driven on Data not Dates.
The numbers decide not what date people want to open up.
Political speak for we will definitely not hit the target.
This is a disaster
I wish they would keep their mouths closed and just get on with the vaccine
HSE computer says nooo…….
If they don’t they need to compensate small businesses that have been effectively closed for over a year while they sit pretty on they’re overly generous salary. Enough is enough.
I’m guessing it’ll be a ‘no’.
have your say